


It Must Be Love

by HookedonCS



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 13:06:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1511609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HookedonCS/pseuds/HookedonCS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zelena has Henry while she forces Killian to enact his cursed kiss on Emma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Must Be Love

“What are you doing?” she screamed, eyes wild with terror. “She has Henry! Let me go!”  


Mind racing, Killian stared at the sight before him. Henry, seemingly unconscious, was being gripped tightly in the arm of Zelena. His head slumped over her shoulder, a peaceful expression on his face. In Zelena’s other hand she held Rumple’s dagger, poised and ready at Henry’s neck. This was a battle that they must win. They had to protect Henry. At whatever cost.  


Killian held on to her waist tightly. “Emma.” His gaze fell onto the witch from afar. “You can’t attack her. That won’t save Henry.” He could feel his own heart practically beating out of his chest. But he knew that calmer heads would prevail. Storming after her would only put the boy in more harm.  


Emma went suddenly still in his arms.  


“Concentrate,” he heard her, but barely. And he knew that everything in her was preparing for a magical showdown with the witch.  


Zelena’s snicker was just as wicked as ever. The dagger was held nonchalantly at the base of Henry’s throat.  


“Do it,” she whispered, the irises of her eyes disappearing as her pupils enlarged. Zelena’s chin lifted in the vicinity of Emma. “Do it now, pirate. Or so help me, you and she will be witness to my first casualty.” Her hand wrapped into the strands of Henry’s hair, she yanked his head back, exposing more of his neck.  


“Hook, what is she talking about?”  


He could feel her tug and strain against him, trying to pull free.  


“I’m losing my patience,” Zelena informed them all with a roll of her eyes.  


“No,” Killian murmured. He pushed Emma behind him as he stepped closer to the menace lurking ahead of him.  


The blade of the dagger swiped swiftly across Henry’s neck. A thin trickle of crimson slowly ran down.  


“Oh my God, Henry!”  


Killian turned around to face Emma. The fear was all over her strickened face.  


“Do. It. Pirate.”  


Gaze never leaving Henry’s, Emma pounded on Killian’s chest, bouncing on the balls of her feet.  


“What is she talking about, Killian!” she shouted. “She’s hurting my son!”  


Killian’s hand closed over her wrist. He understood the dire strait that was this scenario. Zelena had Henry, and was more than threatening to kill him right in from of his mother. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He wouldn’t allow that to happen. But the panic of doing Zelena’s bidding was just as scary.  


Emma’s wild eyes finally met his. “Tell me!”  


Killian’s hand tightened around her wrist.  


“She wants me to kiss you.” It came out calmly and rationally. His eyes searched hers, seeing the bewilderment.  


“What are you talking about?”  


“If I kiss you then she will get what she wanted. All of your power.” He made a quick glance back at the witch. “She cursed me.”  


“What?”  


Killian looked back at Emma. He could see her physically deflate as her body fell slightly against his.  


“Tick tock,” Zelena taunted sweetly from behind.  


Killian’s grasp on Emma tightened. “Kiss me and lose everything magical about you, Emma. If not, she’s going to hurt everyone you care about.” There was no time to waste on getting to the heart of the matter. It was a choice that Emma had to make.  


Emma stared up at him, wide-eyed and tears brimming.  


She shook her head. “Help me save Henry. Kiss me.”  


“Yes, do it,” Zelena happily said from behind him.  


Killian let Emma go to turn back to the witch. Her eyes were wide and crazed, a sickening sweet smile on her face. The dagger was now being held haphazardly against the side of Henry’s neck.  


There had to be another way. Magic was a part of who Emma was. To be separated from it would be losing a part of her. Even if this was a new experience she was trying to conquer, to lose it would be a grave loss.  


Firm, yet slightly damp, hands were placed on either of his cheeks. Emma had turned him back towards her.  


“Trust me.” There was concern all over her face, but she was exuding confidence. “Kiss me.”  


And Killian did trust her. With his life. With the safety of everyone who was at risk right now.He wanted her, but not like this. Feeling torn, but believing wholly in this woman, he lowered his lips to hers.  


It was a barely there kiss, lips only briefly sealing. It wasn’t what Killian was expecting. He could feel some strong force being drained from Emma. Was she losing her magic instantaneously?  


No. It wasn’t being taken away from her. It was coming from her, but the wail was not his, or Emma’s, or even Henry’s.  


It wasn’t by some mysterious force. It was by the hands of the woman in front of him. Their kiss had been some sort of screen. How did she know Zelena’s plan would not work? How in the devil had the curse not done exactly what it had been intended to do?  


Instead, Killian watched as the magical force poured out of Emma, white shining light glowing from her and attacking the witch. It was a full-body experience. She was using everything inside of her to combat Zelena.  


Killian saw as Henry’s form slumped to the floor as Zelena’s own form seemed to fade and melt into nothingness.  


“No!” The witch’s scream- which was barely as such- faded along with the rest of her.  


“Emma?” Killian turned his attention back to her, completely perplexed by the actions that went on before him.  


“Henry!” she called out as she ran to him.  


Killian followed slowly. He still felt unsure of what was going on and just what had happened to Zelena.  


“How did you do that?” he asked confusedly.  


Kneeling before him, Emma took Henry’s head in her arms.  


“Henry, wake up. Wake up.” She gently shook him. Leaning forward, she placed a firm kiss against his forehead.  


There was a slight groan from the boy. His eyes fluttered opened and he looked right up at Emma.  


“Mom?”  


“Henry.” Emma was quick to kiss him again. “Henry, thank God!”  


“What happened?” He was groggy, and slow to sit up on his own.  


“Aye.” Seeing that Henry was going to be okay, that his mother had saved his life, Killian could now focus on the matter at hand.  


He and Emma had kissed. She was certainly still in control of the magic that was inside of her. And now Zelena- in a poof- was gone and nowhere to be found.  


“How?” His gaze narrowed on Emma as she began to stand up. “The curse? This is impossible.”  


Emma took a deep breath. “Not impossible. I knew my power was greater than hers. Her curse could not be as strong as… me.” Her eyes darted from Killian to Henry and then back again. “Her curse on you wasn’t stronger than the power of … the kiss itself.” She was reluctant to meet his eyes.  


And Killian thought he finally understood. Unsure, he reached his hand out towards her.  


“Are you saying?”  


Emma held on to Henry tightly. Shaking her head she said, “I don’t know where she went. I don’t know if she is gone for good. We need to find the others. Kid, how are you doing?”  


“I.. I’m fine. I’m fine now.”  


Emma checked him over quickly. Placing her hand over the cut on his neck, it seemed to slowly fade away, becoming unnoticeable.  


As this was going on, as Emma was avoiding the situation to what had caused this all to be okay, Killian’s mind raced to come up with his own conclusion.  


It was their kiss! It had not caused him to lose everything that had become important to him. No, in fact, the opposite had happened. Kissing Emma had saved everything that he wanted. Why? And he knew the answer. And he knew that Emma knew the answer to that question. She had known even before he had.  


“Emma?” he murmured shakily, trying to catch her gaze.  


“We have to go!” she rushed out. “We have to be sure.”  


Killian gave a jerky nod, understanding the significance of getting to safety. “Aye.” But he couldn’t shake the significance of the motions that had just taken place.  


“Then let’s go,” she whispered softly. Her eyes conveyed an understanding of what she knew he was thinking. “We need to make sure Zelena is taken care of. That is our number one priority. Nothing else matters right now. Agreed?”  


But he saw the intensity throughout her whole body. He knew that she understood, just as he did, the significance of their kiss.  


“Let’s find the others,” he agreed.  


They would not hold the conversation as of now. It would have to wait. But sooner rather than later they would have to speak about what just happened. It was clear as day. With that sign of something extraordinary now between them, he would put it aside for the moment.  


They had to make sure they were all safe. And then they would speak of their true love kiss.


End file.
